Operational Support Grade - HMP Hollesley Bay and Warren Hill; Prison Support

19723 - Operational Support Grade - HMP Hollesley Bay and Warren Hill (Prison Support Role)

As an Operational Support Grade, you will look after the day‑to‑day running of a busy prison, working in a close‑knit team to carry out a range of support services – everything from patrol and gate duties, to managing deliveries, supervising visitors, and monitoring phone calls and CCTV. You will work shifts and nights to keep things running.

• Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after 10 years’ service (calculated on a pro‑rata basis)
• 9 days bank, public and privilege holidays
• Access to a paid Level 2 apprenticeship in customer service
• Access to the generous Civil Service pension scheme
• Season ticket loans, retail discounts, an Employee Assistance Programme and a Cycle to Work scheme
• Salary inclusive of a 20% unsocial hours working allowance

You will work an average of 37 hours per week and this will include working night shifts, evenings, weekends and Bank/Public holidays (these days are added to your holiday allowance) on a rolling shift pattern. The frequency of night shifts will vary for each Establishment and can be discussed  an example of the shift times that you could be working please visit our website.

• Gate/portal duties: ensure the secure entry and exit of staff, visitors and vehicles; carry out searches of staff, prisoners, visitors, contractors and vehicles; issue and collect staff keys and radios.
• Control room: operate the establishment radio system and monitor CCTV, ensuring all suspicious activities are reported.
• Visits: book visits; identify and process visitors on arrival and escort them if required.
• Censors/correspondence: monitor and log mail and report any illicit or contraband items, maintaining the preservation of evidence.
• Night duties: ensure cell doors are locked and all prisoners are safely accounted for.
• Reception: assist in supporting appropriate tasks in reception; photograph prisoners; collate documentation for the property process; search and x‑ray incoming prisoner property and parcels; receive items for prisoners and check all seals are intact on property storage.
• Prisoner supervision: supervise prisoners as required; undertake prisoner clothing/property exchange and assist officers with free‑flow movement.
• Food delivery: food trolley delivery and collection, which may involve the use of an electric tug vehicle.
• Driving duties: transport prisoners and their escort to their destination in the cellular vehicle; collect mail from local sorting office.
• Phone calls: monitor the Personal Identification Number (PIN) system, maintain the log of PIN phone requests from prisoners, complete all relevant paperwork keeping an audit trail of conversations, and check that legal numbers are registered with solicitors.
• Procedures and protocol: understand and conform to national and local policies, respond appropriately to invoke emergency procedures and the actions required in relation to incidents.

At the interview we will assess you against the following Success Profile behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Caring

You can stay on the merit list for 12 months. After this, you’ll need to apply again.

Allowance details: in addition you will receive 20% unsocial working allowance. This has been included in the salary figures quoted.

Closing date: 23rd July 2026.

Interview stage assessments: there is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

Job offers: ‘merit’ vacancy. This is a ‘merit’ job vacancy. If you are successful at the interview you will be added to a merit list based on your score. When all applicants have completed the assessment, the prison will make job offers to those with the highest scores first when positions become available.

For more information please visit our website: